Computer Associates AllFusion CA-Librarian Change and Configuration Software

Authors	Edward Cowger, Herb Gepner
Revision Date	17 January 2002

Computer Associates AllFusion CA-Librarian Change and Configuration Software

Computer Associates' AllFusion CA-Librarian is a robust library management system that provides a disciplined approach to managing applications and operating procedures through the software life cycle.

Note

Previously identified as simply CA-Librarian, its new name, AllFusion CA-Librarian, represents Computer Associates' (CA's) new philosophy of establishing meaningful groups of products for ease of customer selection. For instance, when CA acquired PLATINUM technology, it also acquired another Change and Configuration Control (CCC) product called Harvest, which CA renamed to AllFusion Harvest Change Manager.


	Table of Contents
	Overview Analysis Pricing Competitors Strengths Limitations Insight


	List of Tables
	Table 1:	Overview: Computer Associates' AllFusion CA-Librarian
	Table 2:	Features and Functions: Computer Associates' AllFusion CA-Librarian
	Table 3:	Options

Corporate Headquarters

Computer Associates Intl., Inc.

One Computer Associates Plaza

Islandia, NY 11749, U.S.A.

Tel: +1 631 342 6000 for the U.S.

Fax: +1 631 342 6800 for North America

Internet: www.ca.com

Overview [return to Table of Contents]

As many IBM mainframe users are aware, AllFusion CA-Librarian has been providing and maintaining general-purpose library management services for mainframe OS/390, z/OS, Virtual Storage Extended (VSE) and Virtual Machine (VM) environments, and their predecessors, for well over 25 years. The AllFusion CA-Librarian Change Control Facility (CCF) provides automated control features and procedures for manipulation of these libraries. AllFusion CA-Librarian uses self-reorganizing, highly compressed file formats for efficient use of online storage. It allows for both parallel and concurrent development through the CCF facility. It also provides an automated comparison facility and a reporting facility.

The current product versions are AllFusion CA-Librarian for OS/390 and z/OS release 4.3, AllFusion CA-Librarian for VSE and VM release 4.1.

Table 1

Overview: Computer Associates' AllFusion CA-Librarian

[return to List of Tables]

Product Name	AllFusion CA-Librarian
Product Type	A Change and Configuration Management (CCM) product for IBM-type, mainframe systems.
Platform Supported	Any IBM OS/390, z/OS, VM or VSE system.
	Also provides extended support for Database 2 (DB2).
Current Installed Base	Over 7,000 (Gartner estimate).
Price Range (US$)	A license for the VSE version costs approximately $17,418; for the OS/390 version, approximately $40,880, which includes the Librarian Access Method.

Table 2

Features and Functions: Computer Associates' AllFusion CA-Librarian

[return to List of Tables]

General System Structure
AllFusion CA-Librarian Configurations	A single program consisting of two integrated modules: • a reentrant Save Area (SVA)/Link Pack Area (LPA)-eligible load module and • a non-reentrant overlaid module.
	Uses virtual storage for frequently invoked functions and a dynamic overlay structure for infrequent functions.
	Modules are loaded into a master file, and the file is indexed in sort order for access.
	The master file is dynamically self-reorganizing, automatically reclaiming space when a member is updated or deleted.
File Management	Product supports an archiving facility and a routine that can compare two files and report their differences.
	Following are the types of files that can be compared: • Sequential, • Partitioned dataset (PDS) members, • AllFusion CA-Panvalet members, • AllFusion CA-Librarian members or • Archived-level members.
	Concurrent updating and integrity checking of the master file are supported from any supported operating environment.
Master File Format—OS/390	Supports record lengths of up to 32KB, and the file can be in PDS or PDS/Extended (E) format.
	Up to 100 million archive levels can be stored for one member.
	The INDEX function is READ access and does not enqueue the master file.
	The number of data and history records for each archive level is reported. Also, history records show time and date added.
	Empty members may be added and updated.
	The requirement for COBOL Copy statements to start in position 12 has been eliminated. They will be capable of starting in any position. The exit no longer has to be specified on the Batch PARM. If not provided, the system will get the Exit name from the Library.
Multiple-Volume Support	Supports Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) master files, which, through the use of primary and secondary space allocations, can span multiple volumes.
VM Statistical Index	A report available for the VM version of AllFusion CA-Librarian, which shows the space allocated to the master file, how many blocks are used and how many members the master file contains.
	Also enables the systems programmer to detect and correct space shortages before they occur.
User Interface
Operating System Interfaces	Can be implemented in the Time-Sharing Option (TSO)/Interactive System Productivity Family (ISPF), Conversational Monitor System (CMS)/ISPF and Advantage CA-Roscoe environments (for OS/390 and VM users).
	Can also be integrated with AllFusion CA-Vollie for VSE users and with Advantage CA-DataDictionary.
AllFusion CA-Librarian Change Control Facility (Lib/CCF)	Interactive, dialog-based application that tracks and controls source program development activities in online environments.
	Permits user to establish a control point between production and test environments.
	Extends control by providing systematic implementation procedures and a full range of reporting facilities for managing and monitoring the development cycle.
Lib/CCF for DB2	The Change Control Facility provides change control functions specific to the DB2 environment.
	The pre-compile process occurs under the control of Lib/CCF as part of the LOGIN function.
	For programs that are self-contained, Lib/CCF manages the pre-compile, compile, BIND and link processes with a single request.
	Maintains a table of information describing the DB2 programs it manages.
AllFusion CA-Librarian Access Method (Lib/AM)	Permits members of an AllFusion CA-Librarian master file to be referenced directly by programs that typically access members of a PDS or the Source Statement Library.
	Multiple members from different files can be concatenated into a single job stream.
Multiple Lib/CCF Administrators	Full system administrative powers may now be assigned to multiple Lib/CCF logon identifiers.
General Interface
Group Processing Option (GPO)	Permits members with common features to be processed as a group.
	Members with the same prefix can be moved automatically from active to inactive storage, depending on the number of times they have been accessed.
The Comparator	Compares any two source programs and reports their differences and similarities.
	It is also used to maintain the statement-level audit trail in full-screen editing mode.
Unicenter CA-Netman Integration	Can be integrated with Unicenter CA-Netman to enhance application configuration management through the CA-Netman External Change Product (ECP) interface.
Job Scheduling	Takes advantage of Unicenter CA-7 Scheduling and Unicenter CA-Scheduler Scheduling to provide users with integrated scheduling capabilities.
Standards	All return codes are standardized. All new code is RMODE ANY.
	All messages pertaining to wide records contain message IDs and severity codes.
Opt. Cross-Reference (XREF) Enhancement	Up to 64 "copy" verbs are supported for wide record master files; work files for this process are no longer used.
Processing Option	New LOCK/UNLOCK option, specific to wide record files, prevents a member from being updated. Only users with appropriate authority can unlock a member.
Wide Record Support	The FAIR program, the batch Comparator and new listing formats have been modified to support wide master file records. Lib/CCF, Lib/TSO and Lib/AM have also been enhanced to support wide records.
Recovery Features
Master File Recovery	Can be backed up manually or automatically on tape or disk.
	The file members, or portions of members, can be copied selectively to replace destroyed information. Sites will be capable of creating Librarian Master Files online.
	A disk copy utility support file copies between different space allocation, between different device types and even between Basic Direct Access Method (BDAM) and VSAM data spaces. A conversion utility is provided to convert a BDAM or VSAM Master file to Wide Master format without the loss of archives.
Archiving Facility	Retains all records normally deleted during an update but allows the installation to re-create any previous versions of the records at any time.
	All records are stored in a compressed, semi-encrypted form.
	The compression algorithms reduce every eight bytes to six, remove COBOL-reserve words and delete all leading and trailing blanks.
Performance Monitoring
Development Tracking	Source Load Audit Trail identifies the source member from which the load module was generated and determines whether the member corresponds to the current source version.
	Using audit trail variables, source program listing correspondence can be determined when dumps containing a load module are analyzed.
Data Access/Data Bridge
Lib/AM	Provides data access transparency across a broad range of data formats.
	AllFusion CA-Librarian 4.3 incorporates the enhancements fixes for AllFusion Endevor Change Manager to run SUBSYS=LAM on dataset data definitions (DDs) under AllFusion Endevor Change Manager processors.
	AllFusion CA-Librarian 4.3 also supports VisualAgePLI for OS/390 and C/C++ for OS/390 with the Lib/AM subsystem.
Cross-Operating System Sharing (COSS) Facility	Permits concurrent updating of a master file from OS/390, z/OS, VM/CMS and VSE operating environments.
	Preserves data integrity.
	An assortment of user exits for special processing functions on input and output is also available.
File Access Interface Routine (FAIR)	Programs that provide read-only access to the master file from any user-written PL/1, COBOL, FORTRAN or Assembler language routine.
	All member information is available, and all security features are supported.
	Also allows AllFusion CA-Librarian to interface with other editing systems or user applications.
Lib/DataDictionary (Lib/DD)	Enables users to transcribe program record entities to AllFusion CA-Librarian's compilation file directly from the CA-DataDictionary, if it exists in the system configuration.
	Record definition information can be restricted to Advantage CA-DataDictionary with no need to have duplicate descriptions in a language library or on the master file.
ELIPS	An ISPF-like extended editing facility, which is an integral part of AllFusion CA-Librarian.
	For those who did not buy it with AllFusion CA-Librarian prior to 1989, it is a purchasable option.
	ELIPS has a new option in the ELIPSGEN Configuration File MODE=, to set the default to browse or Edit.
Lib/TSO—OS/390	Lib/TSO command processor supports access control facilities to the command processors.
Device and Track Independence—OS/390	BDAM master files can be made device and track independent by initializing the master file with a physical sequential dataset organization.
Storage Management Subsystem (SMS) Advanced Connectivity System (ACS) Support—OS/390	Device and track independence enables the use of IBM's SMS ACS for managing master files.
Security Features
Security Integration	Integrates with external security systems through the CA Standard Security Facility (SSF).
Internal and External Security	Password and encryption facilities provide internal security.
	Release 3.9 and above can be interfaced with eTrust CA-ACF2 security, eTrust CA-Top Secret Security and IBM's Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) for external security.
Reporting Features
Product Management	Unicenter CA-APCDOC Automated Job Documentation, an online documentation facility, is integrated with Lib/CCF in the Advantage CA-Roscoe and ISPF environments to automate the process of maintaining the Unicenter CA-APCDOC Automated Job Documentation dictionary.
Report Generation	Advantage CA-Earl is used to customize reports to supplement the standard reports generated during normal AllFusion CA-Librarian operations.
	The master index report lists the following: • All members with a historical activity summary. • A master record of updates that support all audit trail functions. • A series of management reports, including the Statistical Summary, which describes space usage on a master file. • An analysis report that is useful for determining when a master file should be expanded.
	An index listing is used to describe the following: • Information on all members on the master file. • A GPO index listing, which includes only those members having specified criteria. • An Archive Cross-Level report, which details the sum of all updates applied to an archived member between any two versions. • A Member Cross-Reference report, which lists members that must be recompiled because of a change to an included member.
	Lib/CCF also provides procedurized reporting facilities for life cycle development.

Table 3

Options

[return to List of Tables]

AllFusion CA-Pan/LCM	Provides change and configuration management for Windows 95, Windows NT and LAN environments.
	Maintains a history of all programming changes so that revisions of any file can be reconstructed at any time.
	Keeps track of who made what changes, why, when and on which workstation.
	Supports concurrent development through automatic branching and an extensive merge facility.
	Integration between AllFusion CA-Librarian, AllFusion CA-Panvalet and AllFusion CA-Pan/LCM provides the ability to perform check-in/check-out from the OS/390 mainframe when offloading development to the workstation.

Analysis [return to Table of Contents]

As mentioned earlier, the library management product, regardless of the name, has been around for many years and has a large and devoted user base. CA has devoted itself to these users by periodically maintaining the product, especially when IBM makes any change to the operating environments that this product services. CA also provides integration into AllFusion Endevor Change Manager for clients who need greater Change and Configuration Management functionality.

We all realize that the management of custom-developed software is a critical task for most large enterprises. Over the years, companies have accumulated thousands of programs and procedures to handle their day-to-day operations. The security, management and modification capabilities of these applications, as the evolution of the business may demand, are of vital concern. This is where AllFusion CA-Librarian becomes invaluable.

No major competition exists outside of CA's own vast repertoire of AllFusion products.

Pricing [return to Table of Contents]

Prices range from US$17,418 (smallest VSE or VM processor) to US$40,880 (largest OS/390 processor) for base system plus AllFusion CA-Librarian Access Method.

GSA Pricing

Yes.

Competitors [return to Table of Contents]

Only major competition comes from alternate CA products.

Strengths [return to Table of Contents]

Part of providing software life cycle management and control is the ability to keep management informed of the status of any and all applications used within the installation. Through its comprehensive audit and reporting capabilities, AllFusion CA-Librarian does this and also enables the facilities to build historical information files for planning and reconstruction, if necessary.

AllFusion CA-Librarian has been around so long that it can handle record formats up to 32K.

Limitations [return to Table of Contents]

Because AllFusion CA-Librarian has been on the market for so many years, whatever bugs may have existed have probably been resolved at this time. However, AllFusion CA-Librarian is a mainframe product, and most mainframe installations today also include Windows desktops and nonmainframe servers. To service this environment, CA's main products for change and control management in today's heterogeneous environments are AllFusion Endevor Change Manager and AllFusion Harvest Change Manager, with their links into CA's enterprise system management offering, Unicenter Network and Systems Management—not AllFusion CA-Librarian.

Insight [return to Table of Contents]

Over the years, AllFusion CA-Librarian users have invested huge amounts of resources, which they trust to the control of this product. In many cases, AllFusion CA-Librarian is considered the cornerstone of library control in those mainframe environments where it is installed. Unfortunately, it currently does not make any true commitment to a heterogeneous enterprise environment. It does, however, allow users to exploit their existing investments in tracking and maintaining their mainframe libraries and at the same time continue to exploit advances in S/390 technology. However, for those users wishing to develop software change management for use in an expanding multi-platform, enterprise environment, CA recommends AllFusion Endevor Change Manager as the product of choice.